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“Big enough for target practice, though,” I reply with a grin.
“What?!” Lily exclaims from inside the car.
I wave my hand dismissively. “I forgot to mention my guest. She’ll be staying here for the foreseeable future. Just make sure she doesn’t leave the premises without my permission.”
“Affirmative.”
“Thank you. That will be all.” I pull my head back into the car, rolling up the window as I’m met with furious silence from Lily. Her eyes are moody and dark, and there’s a deep crease of anger between them.
“What the hell was that for?” she asks.
I hold up my hand to silence her. “Remember who is in charge.”
She scoffs. “Brawn over brains, huh?”
“I’m capable of using both, but you seem to have neither.” I know it’s wrong, but I can’t help but to get her a little worked up. She’s pretty when she’s upset.
“I ought to slap you,” she says, “but I’m afraid you’ll attack me. You’re obviously not the good guy in this ordeal. You don’t want me calling the police, so you stole my phone. You don’t even want me to leave your property, which means you’re keeping me prisoner.”
I shrug. “So shut your pretty mouth if you think I’m the spawn of Satan, darling. It’s your only hope at this point.”
She glares at me for a moment, and I can see the cogs turning in her head. She’s probably thinking how easy it would be to jump out of the car and make a run for it, but we’re past the front gate now. My estate is surrounded by walls so high that even a giant wouldn’t be able to climb them.
Nobody comes in or out unless I want them to, and I’m not keen on letting Lily leave.
For her own good, she must stay, but she won’t understand that until we talk about her uncle Dimitri.
Then, she’ll understand.
Then, she’ll really be afraid.
It’s another minute before we reach the house, but Lily doesn’t say a word. She has shut down, her expression cold and calculating. I expect her to do something silly, but I’m already prepared for it.
I have handcuffs in my coat pocket if I need them, and I’m not beyond giving her a good spanking to keep her in check. I almost want her to keep pushing my limits so that I have an excuse to give her a good spank, but considering we just came back from a funeral, I doubt she’d take that well.
Instead, I park the car in my garage and walk calmly around it to open the door for her. “We should get you out of those wet clothes,” I say as she climbs out.
Her face turns from cold to sour. “You’re a pervert,” she snarls.
“I didn’t mean it that way,” I reply earnestly.
“Sure,” she grumbles, crossing her arms and standing in a sopping puddle in my garage.
I chuckle. “You look like a cat who just took an unwilling bath.”
“Unwilling is the right word,” she replies sharply.
“You’ll get over it,” I assure her, taking her by the shoulder and leading her inside. “You have access to everything you need here. I think you should take a shower and find something dry to wear before we have our discussion.”
“Why not now?” she asks, turning around sharply as we enter the lobby. “Why not explain what the hell just happened instead of keeping me here against my will?”
“I could explain it now, but it would take too much time and I’m just as uncomfortably wet as you are,” I say, pulling my coat off and hanging it on a hook by the door. It sags with so much water weight that it threatens to pull the hook out. “Here, let me take yours, too,” I say, holding out my hand.
Lily leans away from me, but gives in after a moment. I take her jacket and hang it on the hook beside mine, stepping back and wiping my palms on my wool trousers. Everything is wet and dirty, and I’m eager to get changed.
“Alright, let’s go. You can use the shower in the master bedroom.”
“I’ll pass,” she replies immediately.
